Here at the tail end of 2018, I either already have in my possession or am expecting many of the figures that I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. From the Marvel Legends Thing to the last two Star Wars bounty hunters, it’s been a pretty great year for getting some grails. Add in the MAFEX Gwenpool and Revoltech Winnie the Pooh and the diversity is staggering.
By end of the month, I should be holding the Figuarts Infinity War Hulk and the Mezco One:TwelveCollective Popeye, which are the last two “gotta have” figures to close out 2018. But 2019 is coming up quickly, and the wanting never stops.
It just never stops!
So with 2019 pouncing like a Jaguar on Ecstasy, I thought I’d take a look at toys that are either already preordered at a variety of places or just some that I know should be coming out soon—even if 2020 is probably more likely for some of them—and run down a top five of my most eagerly-anticipated figures.
In no particular order, let’s start off with:
1000Toys Hellboy
I was lucky enough to get most of the earlier Mezco Hellboy figures, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t willing to leap on another go around for the character. I have a few 1000toys figures already, and if Hellboy runs at the same high quality of those then this will definitely be a contender for figure of the year of 2019. After the shots of the figure with the vastly improved knees started showing up, the one nagging issue I might have had the the figure evaporated, and now we’ve seen proto shots of more characters from the Hellboy universe. Unless something goes horribly wrong, this is going to be a good one.
Toys Alliance Soundwave
So far, with Optimus and Megatron, Toys Alliance has blown my mind with their oversized, super-articulated takes on the Transformers franchise. With the possibility of Soundwave on the horizon, I decided it was probably time to start knocking out walls to accommodate the space these mofos take up. I didn’t intend on starting a collection of robots the size of a toddler, but, dammit, they’re just so frickin’ awesome that some concessions have to be made. I can always sleep on the floor if I have to. How many more characters will they be making? How much money will I throw at them?
MAFEX Spider-Man
Like I said somewhere up there, the MAFEX Gwenpool was one of my favorite figures of 2018. After a lot of shakiness, MAFEX has settled into an excellent groove of producing outstanding action figures, and I’m really looking forward to how they pull off Spider-Man. The promo pictures make his articulation look great, and his overall physique looks streamlined, so I’m hoping this is the Spidey that makes all others pale in comparison. Outside of Revoltech, I love getting new avenues for comic-based Marvel figures. I’m hoping this trend moves to DC as well. A comic-styled MAFEX Superman could be awesome.
Figuarts Count Dooku
I just recently did a rewatch of the prequels. Time has—I won’t say softened but moreso has made me indifferent to a lot of what turned me off of them, and I was able to appreciate what was good about them. Christopher Lee’s presence as the towering villain Darth Tyrannus was the highlight of Attack of the Clones. Granted, he didn’t do much but walk around and do some lightsaber stuff, but he did it with style. He did it with so much style that he kind of overpowered the most awkward love story ever written. And then he chopped off Anakin’s whiny arm, which is something we all wanted to do. I can’t wait to have my toy Dooku chop off Anakin’s arm. And then behead him. And than tap-dance on him.
I just plain don’t have enough (or any) Christopher Lee action figures in my collection. That is criminal.
Revoltech Deathstroke
Complicated and infuriating as they can sometimes be, the Revoltech Yamaguchi figures from both DC and Marvel have really delivered on the articulation front. I can’t get this level of dynamic insanity from any other figure I own. The capes might be one of Dante’s level of hell, but the figures themselves never fail to be anything but pure coke-fueled fun. Deathstroke is the perfect addition to the growing cast, and will go great up against Deadpool (Slade V Wade is the movie we all want to see) or Batman. Especially if Batman gets a new cape. I really need to get Batman a new cape…
Man, I am getting a ton of stuff, and this barely scratches the surface. Stupid sexy toys. But I think these all rise to the top and are my most anticipated. I know I’m forgetting something. One of you will say something I’m forgetting. I just know it.